Bijou, a Writer's Cavalier (1996-2008) – In Memoriam
Bijou was an 11 and a half-year old Cavalier King Charles Spaniel (Cavalier for short). He had a great personality: friendly and vivacious, loved company and going for walks, but was also content to snooze at my feet – in other words, a perfect writer's dog.
Bijou
Bijou means "jewel" in French – I didn't name him for a few days after I'd got him because I was trying to come up with a more "dignified" name, but whenever I looked at him all I could think of was that he was my most precious jewel so the name stuck! His "official" name was Milestone Bijou.
I had known about Cavaliers and craved one of my own for 15 years prior: ever since I had read a romantic, historical novel by Roberta Gellis, in which a Cavalier girl aptly illustrated the loving and courageous spirit of a Cavalier. Somehow I knew at that time, even though I'd never seen a picture of a Cavalier, that that was the dog for me.
It took 15 years of learning more and more about Cavaliers and refusing to get any other breed 'till I finally managed to sculpt my lifestyle and my career to the point where I could spend a good portion of time at home and be able to afford to take good care of my Cavalier.
In 1996 my wish finally came true: Bijou, a beautiful Blenheim boy, came into my life from Deborah Ayer, a reputable breeder in the Cavalier King Charles Spaniel Club, U.S.A., the main information resource for Cavalier aficionados. Bijou was born September 17, 1996 in the small town of Penngrove, in northern California. His parents were Grantilley Manhatton At Laughing (dad) and Ravenrush Betsy Ross (mom).
Deborah was generous enough to let me visit when the pups were 5 weeks old, and I was bowled over by her gorgeous dogs; I sat down in the middle of the floor and just let them climb all over me – it was so hard to choose just one. Deborah had me describe myself and my lifestyle, then advised me as to the "right" kind of personality that would best fit me. Bijou and a brother of his were the most mellow – Bijou even fell asleep in my hands (he was really tiny) and cuddled up to my breast! Well, that was it – the choice was made!
I'm really happy that I waited and got Bijou from a good breeder rather than from a backyard breeder or pet store, where the concern is not for the dog and finding a good home but rather making a profit. If you would like to learn more about the tragedy of puppy mills in the U.S., please visit Puppy Mills, a site dedicated to eradicating the raising of dogs in filthy, cruel, inhumane places (currently condoned by U.S. laws).
Bijou was a happy, healthy, confident dog, who got along with all people and other pets. If you're thinking of getting a pet, do some research and look before you jump. That way you, too, will have a wonderful companion like my Cavalier, Bijou.
Cancer
In early 2004 I noticed that one of Bijou's eyes seemed to be bulging from its socket. His regular vet thought it might be a cataract and referred me to an eye specialist. The eye specialist gave Bijou an ultrasound test that revealed a tumor behind his eye.
In April 2004 Bijou had surgery to remove his left eye and the cancerous tumor behind it. Right after surgery he had a difficult time getting adjusted, bumping into things and seeming sad, but he soon recovered his spirits and coordination. If you have a dog that may need eye surgery, it may be consoling for you to visit the Blind Dog Eye Removal page, where people describe how their dogs coped with this traumatic experience.
In June 2004 an MRI done at the U.C. Davis Small Animal Clinic revealed that a significant amount of cancerous tumor remained that needed to be removed. Bijou had a second surgery to remove the rest of the tumor at U.C. Davis.
In July 2004, after healing from surgery, Bijou underwent radiation therapy at U.C. Davis. His fur fell off the left side of his face. He also seemed tired, walking slowly, but kept his great appetite and seemed happy to be alive.
In August 2004 Bijou had a check-up at U.C. Davis; the vet said that he was "healing nicely," but that his fur may not grow back on the radiated part of his face – poor boy, prematurely bald... (least of my worries).
In September 2004 Bijou had another check-up at U.C. Davis – all was well.
In November 2005 Bijou continued to do well – still a loving, vivacious dog. His fur grew back on the radiated part of his face albeit a lighter shade than on the other side.
Blindness
In May 2007 I noticed that Bijou was bumping into walls and seemed confused and scared. After a trip to his regular vet and then an eye specialist, he was diagnosed with progressive retinal atrophy in his remaining eye, which meant that he was gradually going blind.
We were both sad and scared at first, but adjusted to his blindness and focused on the good things in life (food, play, and petting according to Bijou). When we went on walks, we had to keep to a regular gait and use a short leash as he used my leg as a blind person would use a walking stick, occasionally tapping his forehead against the side of my leg. We developed a set of touches or leash tugs to indicate "let's go," "time to eat," "turn left," "turn right," "climb up," "go down," etc. Although we planned on more happy years together, the time we had left was shorter than we'd hoped.
Seizures
In April 2008 Bijou had 2 seizures during which he foamed at the mouth, fell on 1 side, waved paws uncontrollably, and urinated/defecated. I took him to an emergency vet after the first seizure and got medications for him: diazepam (administered rectally) and phenobarbital (administered orally), both of which I administered after his second seizure. I took him to his regular vet, who thought that the cancer had returned and was in his brain, that I could try to prolong his life by controlling seizures with medications, but that the prognosis was poor. He said he could refer me to a neurologist, but that the type of cancer he had was in a deep part of the brain that would be difficult to get to with surgery and that I'd spend a lot of money getting a consultation and MRI that might (or might not) show me the tumor and would only serve in confirming the diagnosis.
Bijou seemed to do worse on medication than without it. Before, he'd bump into walls, but could find his way around my apartment and out the doggy door; on phenobarbital he seemed confused, walked around in circles, got trapped in corners, and was incontinent (urine and feces). He often woke up in the middle of the night and whined rather than sleeping through the night as he did before.
I talked to the vet and halved his medication dosage, but he didn't seem much better. He had a few more seizures though test results showed that he was within the therapeutic range for phenobarbital so it was a bad sign that he was still having seizures. I was planning on putting Bijou on a different medication (potassium bromide), but in the meantime he scratched his eye and injured his retina so he had to be put on an additional set of medications (antibiotic and eye rinse), which made him very sleepy and lethargic. I had to drag him on his leash or pick him up and carry him around for him to go outside or get to the water or food bowls, and he moaned occasionally whether awake or asleep, so I felt that the end was drawing near.
The End
In the early hours of Monday, May 5, 2008, he experienced a cluster of seizures and cried out in pain or confusion, only calming down when I held him in my arms and stroked his head and back. I thought of keeping him going longer, but I didn't want him to suffer. He was limp and uninterested in food, so I made the difficult decision to let him go. Bijou died in my arms, as I kissed his forehead, at the vet's office, a short time later.
I miss you terribly, my sweet Cavalier, and wish we'd had more time together. The only consolation are the many happy times we spent in each other's company. Goodbye, my beloved Bijou!
